I have to agree with the guy about Regina's pizza in the North End. That place was fabulous. My ex boyfriend and I walked there in the pouring rain and I STILL had a good time. The pizza there doesn't compare to it's chains as previously stated. If nothing else, it's a fun walk with delicious pizza at the end of it, plus the place is full of history. =P
Chinese, Cheap Late-Night: Taiwan Cafe, on Oxford St in Chinatown, has been our go-to cheap eats when we're out late in Boston for years now. It's nothing special, but it's reliably good and not drenched in cornstarchy brown sauce. DowntownCrossing, Chinatown, or South Station
Chinese, Dim Sum: Hei La Moon, on Beach St in Chinatown (it's on the east side of I-93), is our dim sum of choice. Like many dim sum places, it's a gigantic Hobbesian war of all against all to get in the door -- but once your party sits down, nonstop yummy arrives via cart. Beats the pants off of China Pearl, its better-known rival. We particularly love the dish called in Mandarin dou hua, which is a bowl of a substance somewhere between sweet soy milk and silken tofu, covered with a light ginger-sugar syrup. DowntownCrossing, Chinatown, or South Station
Taiwan Cafe is pretty authentic. For instance, their fried rice isn't some overcooked brown mass of stuff -- it looks and tastes fresh with distinctly recognizable ingredients.
And I'll second the sentiment about Hei La Moon -- definitely better than China Pearl. I'm personally partial to the Xiao Long Bao at Chau Chow City on Essex St. but otherwise feel that the overall dim sum experience at Hei La Moon is the best in Boston's Chinatown.
andykuan on
0
Mrtheplague9224 year old Pax'er from PABethlehem PARegistered Userregular
Me and my friends went to The Union Oyster House last year. I had some of the best seafood of my life there. Tried Oysters for the first time as well, they where good, but pricey. The place is a Historical landmark, they say its the oldest restaurant in the country.
My Epic sea food broil with lobster, crab, clams, scallops, fish, tons of veggies, and other stuff i cant remember. Came to around 30 dollars, i eat alot, and came no where close to finishing it all(the bowl is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture). We've been talking about that meal all year, we are definitely going back!
Really this needs to get divided into two sets of answers. One set of eateries being places near the BCEC and another set of eateries for which people would be willing to travel.
The eats near BCEC are pretty thin unfortunately. I was just contemplating this matter this morning and concluded that there are probably only two or three places within walking distance that I'd be willing to eat at (which is why I'm disappointed that it's happening at the BCEC rather than the Hynes this year):
1. Flour Bakery: very good sandwiches and even better pastries. http://www.flourbakery.com/
2. No Name Seafood: fish and chips type place. It's really just a B+ restaurant, but, given the other boring chain options in the immediate vicinity, it's worth it to at least have lunch there.
3. I guess this means there are only two places I'd be willing to eat. The rest of the stuff around that area is crap.
On the other hand, if you're willing to hop on public trans, here's my take on the list:
1- Best classy yet affordable: Petit Robert Bistro
Outstanding lunch menu with a broad range of food to satisfy both the finicky (ham and cheese sandwich) and the foodie (calf brains).
2- Best grease spoon: UBurger
Burgers, fries, and shakes. All produced from whole ingredients. Reliably tasty.
3- Best Local: Top of the Hub
The food is good but not great, the drinks are tasty but overpriced, but you'll be eating in one of the tallest buildings in Boston with picture window views of the entire city. The one item on the menu that is, indeed, great is the cookie plate. They will literally bake the cookies when you order them and serve them straight out of the oven while they're still gooey.
4- Best Geeky: Oishii
I'm not sure what this category actually means, but I do know they have a dish at Oishii which is served in a glowing 8" block of ice. Oh, and it's sushi. And it's completely, decadently, expensive.
5- Best Breakfast: Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
Charlie's could fall under best local and best greasy spoon too. It's a diner that's been around since 1927. Charlie's has the distinction of being one of the only restaurants in Boston that would serve black performers (like Sammy Davis Jr.) back in the day. All of the dishes are made in-house -- so you won't be paying for some formerly frozen piece of food that came off of a Sysco truck.
My office is in Back Bay and my co-workers are consummate foodies (no pun intended), so I could go on and on about different places to eat if anyone wants to listen.
I don't mean to offend, but if you think Top of the Hub is the best local spot ... *cringe* Your othet suggestions are all pretty solid though
As for breaking down places by local to BCEC vs Boston area, it's already being divided that way for the hitchhiker's guide to pax east so no worries
arsonisfun on
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Me and my friends went to The Union Oyster House last year. I had some of the best seafood of my life there. Tried Oysters for the first time as well, they where good, but pricey. The place is a Historical landmark, they say its the oldest restaurant in the country.
My Epic sea food broil with lobster, crab, clams, scallops, fish, tons of veggies, and other stuff i cant remember. Came to around 30 dollars, i eat alot, and came no where close to finishing it all(the bowl is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture). We've been talking about that meal all year, we are definitely going back!
Union Oyster House is ... ok. It's a pretty touristy destination. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 seafood/oyster destinations in town, but that isn't to say it's bad.
arsonisfun on
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I don't mean to offend, but if you think Top of the Hub is the best local spot ... *cringe* Your othet suggestions are all pretty solid though
As for breaking down places by local to BCEC vs Boston area, it's already being divided that way for the hitchhiker's guide to pax east so no worries
I'm not offended -- I realize it's a tourist trap though perhaps I wasn't sufficiently clear about that in my description. Perhaps I misinterpreted the meaning of local. Someone earlier referenced going to the Cheers bar and I figure, if you're going to pick a local touristy location, then TotH is probably a good place to start.
I will however, take umbrage at any one who takes a shot at their cookies. Even tourist spots occasionally deliver good food and, in the case of TotH, their cookie plate is a genuine treat.
Really this needs to get divided into two sets of answers. One set of eateries being places near the BCEC and another set of eateries for which people would be willing to travel.
The eats near BCEC are pretty thin unfortunately. I was just contemplating this matter this morning and concluded that there are probably only two or three places within walking distance that I'd be willing to eat at (which is why I'm disappointed that it's happening at the BCEC rather than the Hynes this year):
1. Flour Bakery: very good sandwiches and even better pastries. http://www.flourbakery.com/
2. No Name Seafood: fish and chips type place. It's really just a B+ restaurant, but, given the other boring chain options in the immediate vicinity, it's worth it to at least have lunch there.
3. I guess this means there are only two places I'd be willing to eat. The rest of the stuff around that area is crap.
Ok, there aren't a lot of places close to BCEC, but there are some more worth mentioning.
Legal Test Kitchen. Some locals disparage it, but the seafood is good, whatever you say.
Sportello, Menton, & Drink are all great (well, haven't been to Menton, but it's by the same chick and it has a good reputation)
Barking Crab. Touristy, but fun.
You're also walking distance to Financial district, Waterfront, Chinatown, and Southie.
[*]Sportello, Menton, & Drink are all great (well, haven't been to Menton, but it's by the same chick and it has a good reputation)
I have never been around so many Really Serious Cocktail Nerds in my life as at Drink. Just their house-made ginger beer changed my life. It was like someone ripped the souls out of a meadow full of ginger plants and poured it into a glass with carbonation. Comes in a little bitty six-ounce glass, but it really doesn't need to be any bigger.
ystael on
0
Mrtheplague9224 year old Pax'er from PABethlehem PARegistered Userregular
Me and my friends went to The Union Oyster House last year. I had some of the best seafood of my life there. Tried Oysters for the first time as well, they where good, but pricey. The place is a Historical landmark, they say its the oldest restaurant in the country.
My Epic sea food broil with lobster, crab, clams, scallops, fish, tons of veggies, and other stuff i cant remember. Came to around 30 dollars, i eat alot, and came no where close to finishing it all(the bowl is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture). We've been talking about that meal all year, we are definitely going back!
Union Oyster House is ... ok. It's a pretty touristy destination. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 seafood/oyster destinations in town, but that isn't to say it's bad.
I thought the lobster and clams were amazing, it was my first time eatting oysters so i cant really say how good they are compared to other places. My one friend got a bunch of fried food, and it was good as well.
If your saying there is some place better i think i want to check it out! Where would you recommend going for something similar to what i got at the oyster house? Some kind of Lobster, Mussel, Clam, Bouillabaisse thing?
Me and my friends went to The Union Oyster House last year. I had some of the best seafood of my life there. Tried Oysters for the first time as well, they where good, but pricey. The place is a Historical landmark, they say its the oldest restaurant in the country.
My Epic sea food broil with lobster, crab, clams, scallops, fish, tons of veggies, and other stuff i cant remember. Came to around 30 dollars, i eat alot, and came no where close to finishing it all(the bowl is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture). We've been talking about that meal all year, we are definitely going back!
Union Oyster House is ... ok. It's a pretty touristy destination. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 seafood/oyster destinations in town, but that isn't to say it's bad.
I thought the lobster and clams were amazing, it was my first time eatting oysters so i cant really say how good they are compared to other places. My one friend got a bunch of fried food, and it was good as well.
If your saying there is some place better i think i want to check it out! Where would you recommend going for something similar to what i got at the oyster house? Some kind of Lobster, Mussel, Clam, Bouillabaisse thing?
Well, some similar restaurants for you (cheap, casual seafood) -
My top suggestion is probably Drydock - http://www.yelp.com/biz/drydock-cafe-boston
It's close to BCEC and it hasn't become overrun with tourists yet. Places in Boston have a nasty habit of becoming popular, then the quality takes a nosedive (see below).
Summer Shack - http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/
I know they do a bouillabaisse and as a whole the food is pretty awesome. I *have* heard that things were going downhill recently, so perhaps I should stop by and see if the rumors are true. It's always sad when a good place just stops trying ...
No Name - http://www.nonamerestaurant.com/
It's not quite the same as it used to be (dirt cheap, good seafood) but it's still pretty good.
Barking Crab - http://www.barkingcrab.com
Big tourist destination, but I've always had a good meal there. They do some ridiculous seafood platters there (they were on Man Vs Food)
Yankee Lobster CO - http://www.yankeelobstercompany.com/
I haven't been here, but it's close to BCEC and I heard it was good, cheap seafood. Yelp seemed to have favorable reviews as well.
Most people bring up Union Oyster House for oysters and while they aren't bad, there are better places to go for oysters given the price.
arsonisfun on
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
As far as Summer Shack is concerned, I'd say its consistently decent but not anything special. It's one of those places I'll go to when I'm nearby or when a friend wants to go.
Every so often my wife really, really wants it though.
As far as Summer Shack is concerned, I'd say its consistently decent but not anything special. It's one of those places I'll go to when I'm nearby or when a friend wants to go.
Every so often my wife really, really wants it though.
Yea ... I mean, if I want seafood I normally go to Oceanaire or Neptune Oyster ...
It's hard to find a good, somewhat cheap place in town ... I wish J's in Portland would open a branch down here.
arsonisfun on
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Well there are a few good restaurants by the convention center, but most of the best of Boston is going to need a quick T ride.
I'll stick to affordable and fun, but stay away from pizza or anything to generic...
My recommendations:
For Adventure! Addis Red Sea (Ethiopian) China Pearl (Chinese/Dim Sum - carts of food, bring a friend who speaks Chinese) Winsor Dim Sum Cafe (a bit smaller than China Pearl, but with menus in English, so a bit easier to order)
This is my first year going to PAX East, but I've lived in Boston/Boston area for years. Here is where I would recommend going, i'll do two lists, 1 of places near PAX, over of places that are worth travelling to:
Near PAX
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Vault - An old converted bank vault. Not to expensive and pretty nice. 20 minute walk
2- Best greasy spoon
Meh I think the best ones aren't around that area, but if you want to cross into Boston from South Boston, go to the Fillibuster. Cheap and greasy and good
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
Falafel King. just near park street The King has some of the best falafel in town.
4- Best Geeky
Drink - Its pricey but you get really good cocktails and they have a cool system for ordering. You give them a few ingredients and what you're feeling and they make you something you've probably never had before. Best part is they're a bar with no TVs which is A+. Also I just had bacon roasted nuts there. So good
5- Best Breakfast
No clue around there.
In the Greater Boston Area
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Christophers - Take the Redline out to Porter Square and just cross Mass Ave to get there. A good selection of craft beer, they also have a great menu and I think one of the best burgers in town.
2- Best grease spoon
Charlies - Take the Red Line to Harvard Square. Also Bartleys makes a great greasy burger but usually has a long line.
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
If you like beer check out Deep Ellum in Allston. They have tons of great beers. Also check out the Friendly Toast off the Redline in Kendal Square. A great quirkly place with tons of kitchy decorations.
4- Best Geeky
Probably the friendly toast. Or the miracle of science for a cliched answer. They serve shots in test tubes!
5- Best Breakfast
Get a car and go to watertown and go to the Town Deluxe Diner. Its worth it.
For vegetarian food: Grasshopper is crap. Or I think so. Go to Piece o' Pie right next door. Or Veggie Planet in Harvard Square. Not as fancy but super good.
Cheap Japanese: Porter Exchange on Massachusetts Ave just south of Porter Square, Cambridge, has a food court with five little Japanese places and one Korean, plus one pretty decent sit-down Japanese place called Bluefin. The standout among the Japanese places is a tiny hole-in-the-wall called Cafe Mami which serves youshoku -- Japanese "western-style" food: stuff like the hamburger patty with the fried egg on top, or pork cutlet curry, or katsudon. It's absolutely delicious. Sapporo Ramen and ChoCho's, the Korean place, are also pretty good, particularly the sundubu (spicy soft tofu stew) at ChoCho's. I don't recommend the other three restaurants in the food court -- here "don't recommend" ranges from "kinda meh" to "violent buttsplosion". Porter Square
This is my friends' and I favorite place to eat in Boston. It's a bit of a ride on the subway, but if you have a couple of hours to kill, it's totally worth it.
Gaus on
Professional assassination. It's the highest form of public service. - Chiun
I had Dinner at MJ Oconnors tonight. Its one of the restaurants in the Westin, connected to the Convention center. I'm a little biased because my brother is a chef there, but it was really good, especially the Shepard's pie. It's pub food, with some novel takes, and it shares its menu into the adjoining bar, City Bar.
I agree with Addis Red Sea, they have this spongey bread that is amazing to sop up all that spice.
There are also a few Afghani places to check out. Ariana in Allston (have been here and loved it) and Helmand in Cambridge (have not tried).
The Middle East/Zuzu in Central Square Cambridge is a local landmark. They have all of the staple Middle Eastern food. Zuzu which is all owned by the same people is a little bit better than the Middle East itself. They also have concert venues and cheap drink prices. If you are looking for music, go here or the Paradise and not the overpriced House of Blues. $6 PBRs there. :v:
Also, if you're loking for something a little different, Fire and Ice is always pretty fun. It's basically stir fry that you pick all the ingredients yourself and they cook the food on a huge round grill. They also have 2 HUGE cocktails. It's a chain, but there's only 6 of them total. But price wise, it's not the cheapest. http://www.fire-ice.com/
bostonwallace on
0
juju[E] Line Entertainment!Brookline, MARegistered Userregular
edited January 2011
Arrived to this thread party a little bit late, but food is my FAVORITE thing to talk about in Boston. All I do is eat, yummmmm. I'm surprised I'm not Katamari-shaped yet (let's make the moon!)
Anyone looking to go to anywhere good let me know, I am very good with navigation and I'm always looking to make dinner dates with anyone who needs the company. I'm totally serious about this, as I LOVE sharing meals with people interested about food. It makes the dinner so much better
________________________
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Petit Robert Central, right by Downtown Crossing. I haven't eaten here yet but it's French with good ambiance and a lower tier priced menu than its sister restos. Super quick and well-priced lunch too.
Sorriso, right on South Street, serves pretty good Italian food. Definitely worth the plate prices, and their gourmet pizza is to die for (although I agree with everyone who said that there is no good "real" pizza in Boston. It just doesn't happen).
Garden on the Cellar is wonderful, it's right between Central and Harvard Squares on Mass. Ave (10-minute train ride from South Station + 5-minute walk). The food is great and the fries are awesome. If you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for their super-delicious dinner menu, the bar menu downstairs is also fantastic.
2- Best grease spoon
South Street Diner, the only place open 24/7 in Boston.
A short 14 minute train ride to Harvard produces Charlie's Kitchen, some of the most affordable and delicious bar food in all of Boston. I'm a once-a-weeker to Charlie's Kitchen because of their affordable Lobster Melts that they have all year round ($8 with fries!). Kitchen's open until 1:30-1:45ish too, which makes it a good place for late-night eats. The beer there is also really well-priced for what they have on tap compared to many places in the city.
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
Chacarero. There's a location on Arch Street downtown that is awesome and one closer to the park. It's a Chilean sandwich shoppe & a hugely popular lunch location, and the sandwich is absolutely delicious - a piece of beef, chicken or veggies on homemade bread with an avocado spread, tomato, green beans, muenster cheese, tomato, and as much hot sauce as you can handle. Cash only.
I cannot speak enough good about the Clover Food Truck. Clover makes everything vegetarian and vegan daily, as well as locally-sourced. As a meat-eater, I'm surprised I'm as addicted to it as I am, making frequent lunch trips in sub-zero temps. They also serve breakfast and light dinner until 6 or until they're out of food. Their restaurant is open in Harvard Square, but the Dewey Food Truck is SO close to South Station (diagonally across the street) to feed a hungry juju when she wants something tasty to eat. (territoires, you MUST check this place out when you come to East, if you don't you are totally missing out)
4- Best Geeky
Best Geeky would probably have to go to, by virtue, Miracle of Science Bar and Grill. Right across the way from many of MIT's main buildings between Central and Kendall Square, the ambiance is nerdy (Periodic Table themed walls anyone?) and the food is pretty good.
2010-2011 is definitely all about the gastropubs in Boston and many other cities, and I'd probably write up Lord Hobo to be a pretty good gastropub for the beer geek. Really nice microbrew selection and awesome food menu. It's located in a neighborhood between Kendall and Central on the opposite side of MIT from Miracle of Science, and is a bit of a hike, but if really, really good beer and food is on your radar this is a good place to check out.
5- Best Breakfast
Friendly Toast. About a 5 minute walk from Kendall among the biotech buildings and MIT is this awesome gem of a resto. They make some pretty bangin' pancakes and egg dishes that are really, really good. They also straddle the "Best Geeky" line, and have a crossword night, trufaxx
Closer to the convention center, Kingston Station does brunch from 11 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. (They also have a pretty good cocktail bar if anyone wants to grab drinks ) Kingston Station is straight down Summer St from the convention center towards the park, on Kingston Street.
________________________
OYSTERSSSSS
I love oysters.
Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square does $1 oysters EVERY NIGHT after 11 PM. They're only open until 12 PM except for Fridays and Saturdays (where they're open until 1 PM) so you can go there to the bar downstairs, order your fill, and still make it to the last train. I go to RHT once a week to hit this up, since their $1 oysters are usually Island Creeks, a local that is super-meaty for the price. The food at RHT is pretty good too, if you land there any other time. I had brunch there on New Year's Day and it was surprisingly good and inexpensive when you look at plate prices for dinner.
Friday night Turner Fisheries does $1 oysters as well. Myers + Chang in the South End does them on Sundays with a 12-oyster limit and $1 PBRs, although the food there is REALLY good so 12-oysters and Asian fusion are an exceptional idea for a Sunday.
In addition to the list above of the heavy-hitters, a gastropub called Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar opened near Fenway recently. I haven't had a chance to make it over yet but they do a whole suckling pig for 10 people and most of the Boston foodies are absolutely in love with it.
________________________
VEGGIE PEEPLEZZ
The Otherside Cafe in Back Bay has some of the most amazing vegetarian chili I've had in my life. You can get it with half a sandwich and it's a super-great deal.
Grasshopper in Allston specializes in vegetarian/vegan Chinese food. It's amazing, but it's a hike. Either have a car or a Boston native on hand, for you will need one or two train connections as well as a bus to get there.
I CANNOT PROCLAIM MY LOVE FOR CLOVER ANY HARDER.
(And how did I forget Veggie Planet in Harvard? The food there is SO GOOD, they have this portabello redhead dish that is awesome.)
________________________
Cheap Japanese: Porter Exchange on Massachusetts Ave just south of Porter Square, Cambridge, has a food court with five little Japanese places and one Korean, plus one pretty decent sit-down Japanese place called Bluefin. The standout among the Japanese places is a tiny hole-in-the-wall called Cafe Mami which serves youshoku -- Japanese "western-style" food: stuff like the hamburger patty with the fried egg on top, or pork cutlet curry, or katsudon. It's absolutely delicious. Sapporo Ramen and ChoCho's, the Korean place, are also pretty good, particularly the sundubu (spicy soft tofu stew) at ChoCho's. I don't recommend the other three restaurants in the food court -- here "don't recommend" ranges from "kinda meh" to "violent buttsplosion". Porter Square
I 100% recommend all of these, especially Cafe Mami, which has the longest lines and usually has people sharing tables because of the sheer volume of people there. Usually, around dinner time even on a not-so-busy night, it's in your best interests to order in line. Do not come here with a large party. Cafe Mami has free refills on rice and a really kickass Hamburg special. It should also be noted that every place here save Bluefin and ChoCho's are cash only.
Bluefin can accommodate a bit better but for any of these places it's best to bring at most 3-4 people. ChoCho's, maybe 5-6.
Barbecue: Redbones in Davis Square, Somerville, has some very good points (giant piles of barbecued meat) and some not-so-good points (some of the sides, service, the feeling you get if you sit at the kitchen-edge bar in the back and watch the cooks prep your plate). Still, it's delicious barbecued pork and you sure as hell won't leave hungry. Davis Square
Being stuffed at the kitchen bar sucks, but you can always ask to sit downstairs if it isn't totally packed or they're not doing any special event. The upside to the kitchen bar is that the two times I've sat there, the line cooks have hooked us up with free stuff and we haven't even asked. Just like, random pieces of sausage or something. It was pretty sweet, and we aren't even regulars there.
I've gotten some fantastic salmon and oysters at McCormick & Schmidts.
The McCormick & Schmicks in Faneuil Hall does $1 oysters on Wednesdays at the bar. They also have happy hour menus at the bar that sandwich dinnertime (3something to 6something then again at 9something, I'm not sure about exact times). A friend of mine and I went to the Park Plaza location on Tuesday at around 7:30 (that's when that location does their $1 oyster night), ordered oysters early, then happy hour menu for dinner, and got to use a Foursquare special to get a free app. With a happy hour cocktail apiece, our bill for a ton of oysters and 3 apps was like, $30 apiece with tip.
juju on
PAX East '10-16 Pokecrawl || Team Green's Awesome PokeProf! PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House! Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
Like many others I'll be traveling quite a bit for this!
Anyone has any suggestions on the best Nom Loot drops around Boston? Please do tell as I fear I will not survive for long without a Poutine from La Banquise*.
I've already tried Cheers AKA The Pub and Finch, not bad, I wast especially glad to go there for the "history" if you can call it that.
I was also on the lookout for the best Pizza in Boston but I did not get to hunt it down really well. I tried something called Bostone Pizza which was in the same mall/complexe where PAX 2010 was. However I've heard good things about a place called "Upper Crust".
The pour house: GREAT breakfast as far as we were concerned, though a bit on the ultra greasy side. I'd check it out again if I ever come across it.
Brasserie Jo: French place with actual French speaking staff (at least it was the case with us). Nice and a bit classy, but the price/worth did not feel right. Breakfast was not... enjoyable.
Please fill out as best as you can:
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
2- Best grease spoon
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
4- Best Geeky
5- Best Breakfast
*
I don't actually eat Poutine that much, this is just a clever attempt to show what my stomping grounds are. Also, La Banquise is good but not the best, however it wins because it's available 24/7. That is all.
Late to the game, just wanted to say I really don't think La Banquise deserves all the praise it gets. Only because it's an "all poutine" restaurant. So I'm with you on it not being "the best". There's nothing like a good ol' plain greasy poutine from like Lafleurs or Belle Province as far as I'm concerned.
2010-2011 is definitely all about the gastropubs in Boston and many other cities, and I'd probably write up Lord Hobo to be a pretty good gastropub for the beer geek. Really nice microbrew selection and awesome food menu.
Fuck Lord Hobo for taking the B-side's space, seriously. Greatest loss Cambridge and Somerville have or will ever experience!
Myers + Chang in the South End does them on Sundays with a 12-oyster limit and $1 PBRs, although the food there is REALLY good so 12-oysters and Asian fusion are an exceptional idea for a Sunday.
What? They do? Is it at brunch or dinner? 12 oysters on the side of kimchi pancakes?
GenlyAi on
0
juju[E] Line Entertainment!Brookline, MARegistered Userregular
Fuck Lord Hobo for taking the B-side's space, seriously. Greatest loss Cambridge and Somerville have or will ever experience!
I too mourn the loss of B-side. Lord Hobo's beers are expensive (borderline overpriced) and their food is pretty expensive as well but if you take out the bitterness of the loss of B-side it is a pretty cool venue. ;-)
I also just found this out, but for the oyster lover in you Lord Hobo does $1 oysters and $5 apps Monday-Friday from 5-7 pm.
Myers + Chang in the South End does them on Sundays with a 12-oyster limit and $1 PBRs, although the food there is REALLY good so 12-oysters and Asian fusion are an exceptional idea for a Sunday.
What? They do? Is it at brunch or dinner? 12 oysters on the side of kimchi pancakes?
8-10 pm on Sunday. I haven't made it out there for oyster night yet because as I am a Somerville resident going to the South End on a Sunday night is a tough sell for many of my friends
juju on
PAX East '10-16 Pokecrawl || Team Green's Awesome PokeProf! PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House! Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
Arrived to this thread party a little bit late, but food is my FAVORITE thing to talk about in Boston. All I do is eat, yummmmm. I'm surprised I'm not Katamari-shaped yet (let's make the moon!)
Anyone looking to go to anywhere good let me know, I am very good with navigation and I'm always looking to make dinner dates with anyone who needs the company. I'm totally serious about this, as I LOVE sharing meals with people interested about food. It makes the dinner so much better
________________________
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Petit Robert Central, right by Downtown Crossing. I haven't eaten here yet but it's French with good ambiance and a lower tier priced menu than its sister restos. Super quick and well-priced lunch too.
Sorriso, right on South Street, serves pretty good Italian food. Definitely worth the plate prices, and their gourmet pizza is to die for (although I agree with everyone who said that there is no good "real" pizza in Boston. It just doesn't happen).
Garden on the Cellar is wonderful, it's right between Central and Harvard Squares on Mass. Ave (10-minute train ride from South Station + 5-minute walk). The food is great and the fries are awesome. If you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for their super-delicious dinner menu, the bar menu downstairs is also fantastic.
2- Best grease spoon
South Street Diner, the only place open 24/7 in Boston.
A short 14 minute train ride to Harvard produces Charlie's Kitchen, some of the most affordable and delicious bar food in all of Boston. I'm a once-a-weeker to Charlie's Kitchen because of their affordable Lobster Melts that they have all year round ($8 with fries!). Kitchen's open until 1:30-1:45ish too, which makes it a good place for late-night eats. The beer there is also really well-priced for what they have on tap compared to many places in the city.
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
Chacarero. There's a location on Arch Street downtown that is awesome and one closer to the park. It's a Chilean sandwich shoppe & a hugely popular lunch location, and the sandwich is absolutely delicious - a piece of beef, chicken or veggies on homemade bread with an avocado spread, tomato, green beans, muenster cheese, tomato, and as much hot sauce as you can handle. Cash only.
I cannot speak enough good about the Clover Food Truck. Clover makes everything vegetarian and vegan daily, as well as locally-sourced. As a meat-eater, I'm surprised I'm as addicted to it as I am, making frequent lunch trips in sub-zero temps. They also serve breakfast and light dinner until 6 or until they're out of food. Their restaurant is open in Harvard Square, but the Dewey Food Truck is SO close to South Station (diagonally across the street) to feed a hungry juju when she wants something tasty to eat. (territoires, you MUST check this place out when you come to East, if you don't you are totally missing out)
4- Best Geeky
Best Geeky would probably have to go to, by virtue, Miracle of Science Bar and Grill. Right across the way from many of MIT's main buildings between Central and Kendall Square, the ambiance is nerdy (Periodic Table themed walls anyone?) and the food is pretty good.
2010-2011 is definitely all about the gastropubs in Boston and many other cities, and I'd probably write up Lord Hobo to be a pretty good gastropub for the beer geek. Really nice microbrew selection and awesome food menu. It's located in a neighborhood between Kendall and Central on the opposite side of MIT from Miracle of Science, and is a bit of a hike, but if really, really good beer and food is on your radar this is a good place to check out.
5- Best Breakfast
Friendly Toast. About a 5 minute walk from Kendall among the biotech buildings and MIT is this awesome gem of a resto. They make some pretty bangin' pancakes and egg dishes that are really, really good. They also straddle the "Best Geeky" line, and have a crossword night, trufaxx
Closer to the convention center, Kingston Station does brunch from 11 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. (They also have a pretty good cocktail bar if anyone wants to grab drinks ) Kingston Station is straight down Summer St from the convention center towards the park, on Kingston Street.
________________________
OYSTERSSSSS
I love oysters.
Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square does $1 oysters EVERY NIGHT after 11 PM. They're only open until 12 PM except for Fridays and Saturdays (where they're open until 1 PM) so you can go there to the bar downstairs, order your fill, and still make it to the last train. I go to RHT once a week to hit this up, since their $1 oysters are usually Island Creeks, a local that is super-meaty for the price. The food at RHT is pretty good too, if you land there any other time. I had brunch there on New Year's Day and it was surprisingly good and inexpensive when you look at plate prices for dinner.
Friday night Turner Fisheries does $1 oysters as well. Myers + Chang in the South End does them on Sundays with a 12-oyster limit and $1 PBRs, although the food there is REALLY good so 12-oysters and Asian fusion are an exceptional idea for a Sunday.
In addition to the list above of the heavy-hitters, a gastropub called Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar opened near Fenway recently. I haven't had a chance to make it over yet but they do a whole suckling pig for 10 people and most of the Boston foodies are absolutely in love with it.
________________________
VEGGIE PEEPLEZZ
The Otherside Cafe in Back Bay has some of the most amazing vegetarian chili I've had in my life. You can get it with half a sandwich and it's a super-great deal.
Grasshopper in Allston specializes in vegetarian/vegan Chinese food. It's amazing, but it's a hike. Either have a car or a Boston native on hand, for you will need one or two train connections as well as a bus to get there.
I CANNOT PROCLAIM MY LOVE FOR CLOVER ANY HARDER.
(And how did I forget Veggie Planet in Harvard? The food there is SO GOOD, they have this portabello redhead dish that is awesome.)
________________________
Cheap Japanese: Porter Exchange on Massachusetts Ave just south of Porter Square, Cambridge, has a food court with five little Japanese places and one Korean, plus one pretty decent sit-down Japanese place called Bluefin. The standout among the Japanese places is a tiny hole-in-the-wall called Cafe Mami which serves youshoku -- Japanese "western-style" food: stuff like the hamburger patty with the fried egg on top, or pork cutlet curry, or katsudon. It's absolutely delicious. Sapporo Ramen and ChoCho's, the Korean place, are also pretty good, particularly the sundubu (spicy soft tofu stew) at ChoCho's. I don't recommend the other three restaurants in the food court -- here "don't recommend" ranges from "kinda meh" to "violent buttsplosion". Porter Square
I 100% recommend all of these, especially Cafe Mami, which has the longest lines and usually has people sharing tables because of the sheer volume of people there. Usually, around dinner time even on a not-so-busy night, it's in your best interests to order in line. Do not come here with a large party. Cafe Mami has free refills on rice and a really kickass Hamburg special. It should also be noted that every place here save Bluefin and ChoCho's are cash only.
Bluefin can accommodate a bit better but for any of these places it's best to bring at most 3-4 people. ChoCho's, maybe 5-6.
Barbecue: Redbones in Davis Square, Somerville, has some very good points (giant piles of barbecued meat) and some not-so-good points (some of the sides, service, the feeling you get if you sit at the kitchen-edge bar in the back and watch the cooks prep your plate). Still, it's delicious barbecued pork and you sure as hell won't leave hungry. Davis Square
Being stuffed at the kitchen bar sucks, but you can always ask to sit downstairs if it isn't totally packed or they're not doing any special event. The upside to the kitchen bar is that the two times I've sat there, the line cooks have hooked us up with free stuff and we haven't even asked. Just like, random pieces of sausage or something. It was pretty sweet, and we aren't even regulars there.
I've gotten some fantastic salmon and oysters at McCormick & Schmidts.
The McCormick & Schmicks in Faneuil Hall does $1 oysters on Wednesdays at the bar. They also have happy hour menus at the bar that sandwich dinnertime (3something to 6something then again at 9something, I'm not sure about exact times). A friend of mine and I went to the Park Plaza location on Tuesday at around 7:30 (that's when that location does their $1 oyster night), ordered oysters early, then happy hour menu for dinner, and got to use a Foursquare special to get a free app. With a happy hour cocktail apiece, our bill for a ton of oysters and 3 apps was like, $30 apiece with tip.
I like it, you know what you're talking about. You listed a bunch of the places I'll be tossing in the Hitchhiker's Guide to PAX East
I'm in the middle of planning a dinner at Citizen to tackle the pig ... Few of my friends went recently and said it was pretty awesome.
arsonisfun on
I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I'm in the middle of planning a dinner at Citizen to tackle the pig ... Few of my friends went recently and said it was pretty awesome.
If you need an extra head for the party and you don't mind a random PAXer shout me a holler. Would love to assemble a party of my own but the friends I know who would be interested have lives that go in 1297391379 billion directions at the speed of light. Hell, four of us have been trying to assemble a weekday dinner at Pigalle for two months now and thanks to the blizzard it's going to have to wait another month. MONTH.
I have a better fighting chance assembling a prix fixe at Momofuku Ssäm Bar for 8-10 with my NYC friends than getting 10 people for a Citizen suckling pig at the same time... and that's pretty sad since I've lived here for quite a while
juju on
PAX East '10-16 Pokecrawl || Team Green's Awesome PokeProf! PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House! Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
1 - Best classy yet affordable - I'd probably go with Legal Sea Foods here. Great seafood (if you're into that), as well as other choices. Good atmosphere, great service. A slight bit touristy depending on the location you pick, but still worth a trip. Prices aren't cheap, but aren't anything outrageous.
2 - Best grease spoon - Mike's City Diner - 1714 Washington St. (South End), Boston - Never been actually, but I hear enough about it to know it's good greasy diner food. :-)
3 - Best Local (all categories aside) - Do you mean best restaurant that features local NE dishes, or best restaurant for locals, or best local area chain? Hmm...
I'd probably go with Le's. It's a local Vietnamese chain that used to be called Pho Pasteur. There's one in Harvard Square as well as on Brighton Ave in Allston (across the street from Sunset Grill, see below). Great food, cheap too. Huge bowl of pho with all the trimmings is about $7-9.
4 - Best Geeky - Anything near MIT? I'm not really sure what to put here.
5 - Best Breakfast - Kelly's Diner - 674 Broadway (Ball Square), Somerville - It's a real diner in an actual diner car. Best hash around. The closest T stop is Davis on the Red Line, then it's a half mile walk. Lots of parking nearby if you can drive. Definitely get there early, especially on a weekend. No reservations, line goes out the door.
Other recommendations:
1 - Dali - 415 Washington St., Somerville - Best tapas in Boston, incredible sangria.
2 - Sunset Grill - 130 Brighton Ave., Allston - 100+ beers on tap, hundreds more available in bottles. Great bar food (sandwiches, apps, etc.).
3 - Boca Grande - Locations in Cambridge, Allston, Kenmore - Good burritos, tacos, and Mexican plates, prices are cheap.
Places to avoid:
1 - No Name Restaurant - 15 Fish Pier, Boston - I know others in this thread have recommended it, but I'd avoid this place while you're in town. It's a tourist trap. Basically, bus after bus will bring hundreds of tourists here at at time. They'll be herded into the restaurant where you're elbow to elbow with all the other patrons. Your dinner is brought out in mere minutes, and you're expected to eat it all and leave before the next busload of tourists arrive. I went there because my cousins were in town and insisted on going there. I'm not much of a seafood person, and there weren't any non-seafood options on the menu. I went with the safest option - a white fish that was broiled. It was so oily and greasy that I was sick for days.
2 - Any restaurant in Faneuil Hall - Tourist trap, plus nothing of note there anyway.
EDIT - Totally didn't see the post about RF O'Sullivan's above. Totally worth the trip. Yes, you'll be waiting about 20 mins for your burger to be made, but you'll be in heaven once it arrives.
First year at PAX East but I'm a (somewhat) local. So here are some of my recommendations:
1- Best Classy yet affordable-- Technique in Cambridge
Technique is the student-run restaurant for Le Cordon Blue cooking school, and they offer a five-course meal for 15.00. Yes, 15.00. A three-course is 12.00. It's all fine dining with items like lobster salads and Filet Mignon. Reservations are required, but did I mention it's 15.00?
2. Best grease spoon-- I don't really have one for this, unfortunately. This makes me sad. Falafel Palace has been mentioned, and while I don't see it as a grease spoon, it is open till 3 am.
3. Best Local--I tend to think that some of the best local places are in the North End (Italian.) Mike's Pastry makes fantastic cannoli's. Most of the italian restaurants have really delicious food, and lunch specials are reasonably priced (6-7 dollars.) Good pizza: Crazy Dough's.
4. Best Geeky-- Miracle of Science was mentioned, as well as The Friendly Toast. Friendly Toast is also good breakfast (try the king cakes, that are banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chip.)
[*]Sportello, Menton, & Drink are all great (well, haven't been to Menton, but it's by the same chick and it has a good reputation)
I have never been around so many Really Serious Cocktail Nerds in my life as at Drink. Just their house-made ginger beer changed my life. It was like someone ripped the souls out of a meadow full of ginger plants and poured it into a glass with carbonation. Comes in a little bitty six-ounce glass, but it really doesn't need to be any bigger.
I want to put that on a T-shirt.
Btw, thanks for everyone who participated to the thread. Sorry I could not add much myself besides my initial experiences, besides I've been crazy busy lately.
I don't actually eat Poutine that much, this is just a clever attempt to show what my stomping grounds are. Also, La Banquise is good but not the best, however it wins because it's available 24/7. That is all.[/SPOILER]
Late to the game, just wanted to say I really don't think La Banquise deserves all the praise it gets. Only because it's an "all poutine" restaurant. So I'm with you on it not being "the best". There's nothing like Lafleurs or Belle Province as far as I'm concerned.
We need to high five this, even if it comes at the risk of transmitting insane convention diseases. It's what George Carlin would want. And what's better than a Belle Pro poutine? A Belle Pro Italian Poutine! Second to none. Frites Alors ain't bad either btw.
Now I wonder if there are any poutines at all in Boston... :?:
Lots of good stuff in here but some bits wrong enough I registered to escape lurker mode and correct them.
- Most importantly, South Station is not the closest T-Stop. There is a Convention Center stop on the new Silver Line (which while a bus, has dedicated lanes and takes subway fare)
- The places near the BCEC are newer so not as well known, but totally edible. I've had some amazing meals at Aura the restaurant in the Seaport hotel for example. Sal's and LTK are nice and Yankee Lobster is great for folks who know a truly great lobster roll will come on Styrofoam and not fine china...
- If you think there is no good pizza in Boston you are being a silly goose bag. I'm sure the only good pizza is in <town where you think pizza is good> and everything else sucks. True Boston doesn't have a distinctive pizza style and most of the local greek pizza places are terrible, but Reginas, Sal's, Santarpios are all good in different ways. Last I checked Todd English was current king of fancy pizza and his Olives and Figs restaurants sling them in Boston for goodness sake.
- Breakfast brawlers Ball Square Cafe and Soundbites next door did escalate to bloodshed. Both are pretty much identical although everyone has their favorite.
- Foundry in Davis Square is really pushing their Poutine.
I agree with Addis Red Sea, they have this spongey bread that is amazing to sop up all that spice.
There are also a few Afghani places to check out. Ariana in Allston (have been here and loved it) and Helmand in Cambridge (have not tried).
The Middle East/Zuzu in Central Square Cambridge is a local landmark. They have all of the staple Middle Eastern food. Zuzu which is all owned by the same people is a little bit better than the Middle East itself. They also have concert venues and cheap drink prices. If you are looking for music, go here or the Paradise and not the overpriced House of Blues. $6 PBRs there. :v:
Also, if you're loking for something a little different, Fire and Ice is always pretty fun. It's basically stir fry that you pick all the ingredients yourself and they cook the food on a huge round grill. They also have 2 HUGE cocktails. It's a chain, but there's only 6 of them total. But price wise, it's not the cheapest. http://www.fire-ice.com/
I've been to Helmand. Food was fairly decent, but my experience was colored by the fact that I had just come home from eating the real thing. I need to go back now.
Just joined the forums, seemed the thing to do after ordering my 3-day pass!
I am in full support of Miracle of Science and all those who recommended it. Periodic table menu, lab bench stools, and pretty delicious food. Breakfast is fantastic there as well. The only problem is how small it is and the menu isn't very extensive. It's also across the street from The Asgard (also delicious), sister restaurant to The Kinsale which people have recommended. I love my neighborhood.
For Boston Proper locations I defer to those who have lived here (and across the river) longer. My only add-in is that Legal Seafoods is indeed fantastic and that The Upper Crust is delicious but I'll never eat there again based on their alleged worker exploitation.
I don't actually eat Poutine that much, this is just a clever attempt to show what my stomping grounds are. Also, La Banquise is good but not the best, however it wins because it's available 24/7. That is all.[/SPOILER]
Late to the game, just wanted to say I really don't think La Banquise deserves all the praise it gets. Only because it's an "all poutine" restaurant. So I'm with you on it not being "the best". There's nothing like Lafleurs or Belle Province as far as I'm concerned.
We need to high five this, even if it comes at the risk of transmitting insane convention diseases. It's what George Carlin would want. And what's better than a Belle Pro poutine? A Belle Pro Italian Poutine! Second to none. Frites Alors ain't bad either btw.
Now I wonder if there are any poutines at all in Boston... :?:
Actually, my very favorite poutine is this little place in Ste-Genevieve called La Roulotte. They do a two-layer poutine. it's awesome,
I think Restaurant Week Boston is scheduled during PAXE. It's 3/6-3/11 and 3/13-3/18.
I haven't been to it in Boston so I'm not sure what it entails, but the NYC one had a pre-fixed menu at a much cheaper price than normally offered. If you want a super-quality classy experience, I wouldn't recommend restaurant week because it gets busy and the food is probably a little lower in quality than normal for a fancy restaurant. Uhh the website is: http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/ but the list isn't up yet.
Also, I would second Technique, the restaurant for the Le Cordon Bleu school. $15 for a 5 course meal was awesome if you are understandable about sub-par service. I saw the recommendation on this thread and went with my boyfriend and we both liked it
Anyone looking to go to anywhere good let me know, I am very good with navigation and I'm always looking to make dinner dates with anyone who needs the company. I'm totally serious about this, as I LOVE sharing meals with people interested about food. It makes the dinner so much better
Hey juju, I'll definitely take you up on that offer for dinner on sunday night if you're available. It'll be me and a couple friends (depending on who's staying till monday), and whoever else would like to join, the more the merrier. I'm from D.C., and somewhat of a foodie myself (when my budget allows), and would like to taste as much of Boston as I can while I'm there. We're going to the pre-pax dinner, pokecrawl, and dim sum, and I know we'd be happy to have you help us decide where to go and what's good for sunday.
Posts
Taiwan Cafe is pretty authentic. For instance, their fried rice isn't some overcooked brown mass of stuff -- it looks and tastes fresh with distinctly recognizable ingredients.
And I'll second the sentiment about Hei La Moon -- definitely better than China Pearl. I'm personally partial to the Xiao Long Bao at Chau Chow City on Essex St. but otherwise feel that the overall dim sum experience at Hei La Moon is the best in Boston's Chinatown.
Me and my friends went to The Union Oyster House last year. I had some of the best seafood of my life there. Tried Oysters for the first time as well, they where good, but pricey. The place is a Historical landmark, they say its the oldest restaurant in the country.
http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/
My Epic sea food broil with lobster, crab, clams, scallops, fish, tons of veggies, and other stuff i cant remember. Came to around 30 dollars, i eat alot, and came no where close to finishing it all(the bowl is a lot bigger then it looks in the picture). We've been talking about that meal all year, we are definitely going back!
I don't mean to offend, but if you think Top of the Hub is the best local spot ... *cringe* Your othet suggestions are all pretty solid though
As for breaking down places by local to BCEC vs Boston area, it's already being divided that way for the hitchhiker's guide to pax east so no worries
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Union Oyster House is ... ok. It's a pretty touristy destination. I wouldn't put it in my top 5 seafood/oyster destinations in town, but that isn't to say it's bad.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I'm not offended -- I realize it's a tourist trap though perhaps I wasn't sufficiently clear about that in my description. Perhaps I misinterpreted the meaning of local. Someone earlier referenced going to the Cheers bar and I figure, if you're going to pick a local touristy location, then TotH is probably a good place to start.
I will however, take umbrage at any one who takes a shot at their cookies. Even tourist spots occasionally deliver good food and, in the case of TotH, their cookie plate is a genuine treat.
When the wife and I go its steamers, clam chowder and beer. It can't be beat and coincidentally lighter on the wallet.
Ok, there aren't a lot of places close to BCEC, but there are some more worth mentioning.
You're also walking distance to Financial district, Waterfront, Chinatown, and Southie.
I have never been around so many Really Serious Cocktail Nerds in my life as at Drink. Just their house-made ginger beer changed my life. It was like someone ripped the souls out of a meadow full of ginger plants and poured it into a glass with carbonation. Comes in a little bitty six-ounce glass, but it really doesn't need to be any bigger.
I thought the lobster and clams were amazing, it was my first time eatting oysters so i cant really say how good they are compared to other places. My one friend got a bunch of fried food, and it was good as well.
If your saying there is some place better i think i want to check it out! Where would you recommend going for something similar to what i got at the oyster house? Some kind of Lobster, Mussel, Clam, Bouillabaisse thing?
Well, some similar restaurants for you (cheap, casual seafood) -
My top suggestion is probably Drydock - http://www.yelp.com/biz/drydock-cafe-boston
It's close to BCEC and it hasn't become overrun with tourists yet. Places in Boston have a nasty habit of becoming popular, then the quality takes a nosedive (see below).
Summer Shack - http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/
I know they do a bouillabaisse and as a whole the food is pretty awesome. I *have* heard that things were going downhill recently, so perhaps I should stop by and see if the rumors are true. It's always sad when a good place just stops trying ...
No Name - http://www.nonamerestaurant.com/
It's not quite the same as it used to be (dirt cheap, good seafood) but it's still pretty good.
Barking Crab - http://www.barkingcrab.com
Big tourist destination, but I've always had a good meal there. They do some ridiculous seafood platters there (they were on Man Vs Food)
Yankee Lobster CO - http://www.yankeelobstercompany.com/
I haven't been here, but it's close to BCEC and I heard it was good, cheap seafood. Yelp seemed to have favorable reviews as well.
Most people bring up Union Oyster House for oysters and while they aren't bad, there are better places to go for oysters given the price.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
Every so often my wife really, really wants it though.
Yea ... I mean, if I want seafood I normally go to Oceanaire or Neptune Oyster ...
It's hard to find a good, somewhat cheap place in town ... I wish J's in Portland would open a branch down here.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
I'll stick to affordable and fun, but stay away from pizza or anything to generic...
My recommendations:
For Adventure!
Addis Red Sea (Ethiopian)
China Pearl (Chinese/Dim Sum - carts of food, bring a friend who speaks Chinese)
Winsor Dim Sum Cafe (a bit smaller than China Pearl, but with menus in English, so a bit easier to order)
For Beer!
Cambridge Brewing Company (the Blunderbuss Barleywine is amazing)
Boston Beer Works (Fenway)
John Harvard's (Cambridge)
Near PAX
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Vault - An old converted bank vault. Not to expensive and pretty nice. 20 minute walk
2- Best greasy spoon
Meh I think the best ones aren't around that area, but if you want to cross into Boston from South Boston, go to the Fillibuster. Cheap and greasy and good
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
Falafel King. just near park street The King has some of the best falafel in town.
4- Best Geeky
Drink - Its pricey but you get really good cocktails and they have a cool system for ordering. You give them a few ingredients and what you're feeling and they make you something you've probably never had before. Best part is they're a bar with no TVs which is A+. Also I just had bacon roasted nuts there. So good
5- Best Breakfast
No clue around there.
In the Greater Boston Area
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Christophers - Take the Redline out to Porter Square and just cross Mass Ave to get there. A good selection of craft beer, they also have a great menu and I think one of the best burgers in town.
2- Best grease spoon
Charlies - Take the Red Line to Harvard Square. Also Bartleys makes a great greasy burger but usually has a long line.
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
If you like beer check out Deep Ellum in Allston. They have tons of great beers. Also check out the Friendly Toast off the Redline in Kendal Square. A great quirkly place with tons of kitchy decorations.
4- Best Geeky
Probably the friendly toast. Or the miracle of science for a cliched answer. They serve shots in test tubes!
5- Best Breakfast
Get a car and go to watertown and go to the Town Deluxe Diner. Its worth it.
For vegetarian food: Grasshopper is crap. Or I think so. Go to Piece o' Pie right next door. Or Veggie Planet in Harvard Square. Not as fancy but super good.
This is my friends' and I favorite place to eat in Boston. It's a bit of a ride on the subway, but if you have a couple of hours to kill, it's totally worth it.
There are also a few Afghani places to check out. Ariana in Allston (have been here and loved it) and Helmand in Cambridge (have not tried).
The Middle East/Zuzu in Central Square Cambridge is a local landmark. They have all of the staple Middle Eastern food. Zuzu which is all owned by the same people is a little bit better than the Middle East itself. They also have concert venues and cheap drink prices. If you are looking for music, go here or the Paradise and not the overpriced House of Blues. $6 PBRs there. :v:
Also, if you're loking for something a little different, Fire and Ice is always pretty fun. It's basically stir fry that you pick all the ingredients yourself and they cook the food on a huge round grill. They also have 2 HUGE cocktails. It's a chain, but there's only 6 of them total. But price wise, it's not the cheapest.
http://www.fire-ice.com/
Anyone looking to go to anywhere good let me know, I am very good with navigation and I'm always looking to make dinner dates with anyone who needs the company. I'm totally serious about this, as I LOVE sharing meals with people interested about food. It makes the dinner so much better
________________________
1- Best classy yet affordable (Caviar only goes so far)
Petit Robert Central, right by Downtown Crossing. I haven't eaten here yet but it's French with good ambiance and a lower tier priced menu than its sister restos. Super quick and well-priced lunch too.
Sorriso, right on South Street, serves pretty good Italian food. Definitely worth the plate prices, and their gourmet pizza is to die for (although I agree with everyone who said that there is no good "real" pizza in Boston. It just doesn't happen).
Garden on the Cellar is wonderful, it's right between Central and Harvard Squares on Mass. Ave (10-minute train ride from South Station + 5-minute walk). The food is great and the fries are awesome. If you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for their super-delicious dinner menu, the bar menu downstairs is also fantastic.
2- Best grease spoon
South Street Diner, the only place open 24/7 in Boston.
A short 14 minute train ride to Harvard produces Charlie's Kitchen, some of the most affordable and delicious bar food in all of Boston. I'm a once-a-weeker to Charlie's Kitchen because of their affordable Lobster Melts that they have all year round ($8 with fries!). Kitchen's open until 1:30-1:45ish too, which makes it a good place for late-night eats. The beer there is also really well-priced for what they have on tap compared to many places in the city.
3- Best Local (all categories aside)
Chacarero. There's a location on Arch Street downtown that is awesome and one closer to the park. It's a Chilean sandwich shoppe & a hugely popular lunch location, and the sandwich is absolutely delicious - a piece of beef, chicken or veggies on homemade bread with an avocado spread, tomato, green beans, muenster cheese, tomato, and as much hot sauce as you can handle. Cash only.
I cannot speak enough good about the Clover Food Truck. Clover makes everything vegetarian and vegan daily, as well as locally-sourced. As a meat-eater, I'm surprised I'm as addicted to it as I am, making frequent lunch trips in sub-zero temps. They also serve breakfast and light dinner until 6 or until they're out of food. Their restaurant is open in Harvard Square, but the Dewey Food Truck is SO close to South Station (diagonally across the street) to feed a hungry juju when she wants something tasty to eat. (territoires, you MUST check this place out when you come to East, if you don't you are totally missing out)
4- Best Geeky
Best Geeky would probably have to go to, by virtue, Miracle of Science Bar and Grill. Right across the way from many of MIT's main buildings between Central and Kendall Square, the ambiance is nerdy (Periodic Table themed walls anyone?) and the food is pretty good.
2010-2011 is definitely all about the gastropubs in Boston and many other cities, and I'd probably write up Lord Hobo to be a pretty good gastropub for the beer geek. Really nice microbrew selection and awesome food menu. It's located in a neighborhood between Kendall and Central on the opposite side of MIT from Miracle of Science, and is a bit of a hike, but if really, really good beer and food is on your radar this is a good place to check out.
5- Best Breakfast
Friendly Toast. About a 5 minute walk from Kendall among the biotech buildings and MIT is this awesome gem of a resto. They make some pretty bangin' pancakes and egg dishes that are really, really good. They also straddle the "Best Geeky" line, and have a crossword night, trufaxx
Closer to the convention center, Kingston Station does brunch from 11 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. (They also have a pretty good cocktail bar if anyone wants to grab drinks
________________________
OYSTERSSSSS
I love oysters.
Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square does $1 oysters EVERY NIGHT after 11 PM. They're only open until 12 PM except for Fridays and Saturdays (where they're open until 1 PM) so you can go there to the bar downstairs, order your fill, and still make it to the last train. I go to RHT once a week to hit this up, since their $1 oysters are usually Island Creeks, a local that is super-meaty for the price. The food at RHT is pretty good too, if you land there any other time. I had brunch there on New Year's Day and it was surprisingly good and inexpensive when you look at plate prices for dinner.
Friday night Turner Fisheries does $1 oysters as well. Myers + Chang in the South End does them on Sundays with a 12-oyster limit and $1 PBRs, although the food there is REALLY good so 12-oysters and Asian fusion are an exceptional idea for a Sunday.
In addition to the list above of the heavy-hitters, a gastropub called Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar opened near Fenway recently. I haven't had a chance to make it over yet but they do a whole suckling pig for 10 people and most of the Boston foodies are absolutely in love with it.
________________________
VEGGIE PEEPLEZZ
The Otherside Cafe in Back Bay has some of the most amazing vegetarian chili I've had in my life. You can get it with half a sandwich and it's a super-great deal.
Grasshopper in Allston specializes in vegetarian/vegan Chinese food. It's amazing, but it's a hike. Either have a car or a Boston native on hand, for you will need one or two train connections as well as a bus to get there.
I CANNOT PROCLAIM MY LOVE FOR CLOVER ANY HARDER.
(And how did I forget Veggie Planet in Harvard? The food there is SO GOOD, they have this portabello redhead dish that is awesome.)
________________________
I 100% recommend all of these, especially Cafe Mami, which has the longest lines and usually has people sharing tables because of the sheer volume of people there. Usually, around dinner time even on a not-so-busy night, it's in your best interests to order in line. Do not come here with a large party. Cafe Mami has free refills on rice and a really kickass Hamburg special. It should also be noted that every place here save Bluefin and ChoCho's are cash only.
Bluefin can accommodate a bit better but for any of these places it's best to bring at most 3-4 people. ChoCho's, maybe 5-6.
Being stuffed at the kitchen bar sucks, but you can always ask to sit downstairs if it isn't totally packed or they're not doing any special event. The upside to the kitchen bar is that the two times I've sat there, the line cooks have hooked us up with free stuff and we haven't even asked. Just like, random pieces of sausage or something. It was pretty sweet, and we aren't even regulars there.
The McCormick & Schmicks in Faneuil Hall does $1 oysters on Wednesdays at the bar. They also have happy hour menus at the bar that sandwich dinnertime (3something to 6something then again at 9something, I'm not sure about exact times). A friend of mine and I went to the Park Plaza location on Tuesday at around 7:30 (that's when that location does their $1 oyster night), ordered oysters early, then happy hour menu for dinner, and got to use a Foursquare special to get a free app. With a happy hour cocktail apiece, our bill for a ton of oysters and 3 apps was like, $30 apiece with tip.
PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House!
Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
Late to the game, just wanted to say I really don't think La Banquise deserves all the praise it gets. Only because it's an "all poutine" restaurant. So I'm with you on it not being "the best". There's nothing like a good ol' plain greasy poutine from like Lafleurs or Belle Province as far as I'm concerned.
B&G Oysters
http://www.bandgoysters.com/
JR
Fuck Lord Hobo for taking the B-side's space, seriously. Greatest loss Cambridge and Somerville have or will ever experience!
Also:
What? They do? Is it at brunch or dinner? 12 oysters on the side of kimchi pancakes?
I too mourn the loss of B-side. Lord Hobo's beers are expensive (borderline overpriced) and their food is pretty expensive as well but if you take out the bitterness of the loss of B-side it is a pretty cool venue. ;-)
I also just found this out, but for the oyster lover in you Lord Hobo does $1 oysters and $5 apps Monday-Friday from 5-7 pm.
Also:
8-10 pm on Sunday. I haven't made it out there for oyster night yet because as I am a Somerville resident going to the South End on a Sunday night is a tough sell for many of my friends
PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House!
Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
I like it, you know what you're talking about. You listed a bunch of the places I'll be tossing in the Hitchhiker's Guide to PAX East
I'm in the middle of planning a dinner at Citizen to tackle the pig ... Few of my friends went recently and said it was pretty awesome.
Red B/Gold Professor
[15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
RF O'Sullivan's
It's a little outside the Boston area, in Somerville.
http://www.rf-osullivan.com/
It's a small little bar but totally worth the trip.
Sadness. Shame.
If you need an extra head for the party and you don't mind a random PAXer shout me a holler. Would love to assemble a party of my own but the friends I know who would be interested have lives that go in 1297391379 billion directions at the speed of light. Hell, four of us have been trying to assemble a weekday dinner at Pigalle for two months now and thanks to the blizzard it's going to have to wait another month. MONTH.
I have a better fighting chance assembling a prix fixe at Momofuku Ssäm Bar for 8-10 with my NYC friends than getting 10 people for a Citizen suckling pig at the same time... and that's pretty sad since I've lived here for quite a while
PAX Prime '10-'13 Triwizard Drinking Tournament || Hufflepuff Head of House!
Twitter: @jujukoo
[E]
2 - Best grease spoon - Mike's City Diner - 1714 Washington St. (South End), Boston - Never been actually, but I hear enough about it to know it's good greasy diner food. :-)
3 - Best Local (all categories aside) - Do you mean best restaurant that features local NE dishes, or best restaurant for locals, or best local area chain? Hmm...
I'd probably go with Le's. It's a local Vietnamese chain that used to be called Pho Pasteur. There's one in Harvard Square as well as on Brighton Ave in Allston (across the street from Sunset Grill, see below). Great food, cheap too. Huge bowl of pho with all the trimmings is about $7-9.
4 - Best Geeky - Anything near MIT? I'm not really sure what to put here.
5 - Best Breakfast - Kelly's Diner - 674 Broadway (Ball Square), Somerville - It's a real diner in an actual diner car. Best hash around. The closest T stop is Davis on the Red Line, then it's a half mile walk. Lots of parking nearby if you can drive. Definitely get there early, especially on a weekend. No reservations, line goes out the door.
Other recommendations:
1 - Dali - 415 Washington St., Somerville - Best tapas in Boston, incredible sangria.
2 - Sunset Grill - 130 Brighton Ave., Allston - 100+ beers on tap, hundreds more available in bottles. Great bar food (sandwiches, apps, etc.).
3 - Boca Grande - Locations in Cambridge, Allston, Kenmore - Good burritos, tacos, and Mexican plates, prices are cheap.
Places to avoid:
1 - No Name Restaurant - 15 Fish Pier, Boston - I know others in this thread have recommended it, but I'd avoid this place while you're in town. It's a tourist trap. Basically, bus after bus will bring hundreds of tourists here at at time. They'll be herded into the restaurant where you're elbow to elbow with all the other patrons. Your dinner is brought out in mere minutes, and you're expected to eat it all and leave before the next busload of tourists arrive. I went there because my cousins were in town and insisted on going there. I'm not much of a seafood person, and there weren't any non-seafood options on the menu. I went with the safest option - a white fish that was broiled. It was so oily and greasy that I was sick for days.
2 - Any restaurant in Faneuil Hall - Tourist trap, plus nothing of note there anyway.
EDIT - Totally didn't see the post about RF O'Sullivan's above. Totally worth the trip. Yes, you'll be waiting about 20 mins for your burger to be made, but you'll be in heaven once it arrives.
1- Best Classy yet affordable-- Technique in Cambridge
Technique is the student-run restaurant for Le Cordon Blue cooking school, and they offer a five-course meal for 15.00. Yes, 15.00. A three-course is 12.00. It's all fine dining with items like lobster salads and Filet Mignon. Reservations are required, but did I mention it's 15.00?
2. Best grease spoon-- I don't really have one for this, unfortunately. This makes me sad. Falafel Palace has been mentioned, and while I don't see it as a grease spoon, it is open till 3 am.
3. Best Local--I tend to think that some of the best local places are in the North End (Italian.) Mike's Pastry makes fantastic cannoli's. Most of the italian restaurants have really delicious food, and lunch specials are reasonably priced (6-7 dollars.) Good pizza: Crazy Dough's.
4. Best Geeky-- Miracle of Science was mentioned, as well as The Friendly Toast. Friendly Toast is also good breakfast (try the king cakes, that are banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chip.)
5. Best Breakfast-- See above.
I want to put that on a T-shirt.
Btw, thanks for everyone who participated to the thread. Sorry I could not add much myself besides my initial experiences, besides I've been crazy busy lately.
We need to high five this, even if it comes at the risk of transmitting insane convention diseases. It's what George Carlin would want. And what's better than a Belle Pro poutine? A Belle Pro Italian Poutine! Second to none. Frites Alors ain't bad either btw.
Now I wonder if there are any poutines at all in Boston... :?:
I say, for the next year's PrePax Dinner, we go there and eat like Spartans.
- Most importantly, South Station is not the closest T-Stop. There is a Convention Center stop on the new Silver Line (which while a bus, has dedicated lanes and takes subway fare)
- The places near the BCEC are newer so not as well known, but totally edible. I've had some amazing meals at Aura the restaurant in the Seaport hotel for example. Sal's and LTK are nice and Yankee Lobster is great for folks who know a truly great lobster roll will come on Styrofoam and not fine china...
- If you think there is no good pizza in Boston you are being a silly goose bag. I'm sure the only good pizza is in <town where you think pizza is good> and everything else sucks. True Boston doesn't have a distinctive pizza style and most of the local greek pizza places are terrible, but Reginas, Sal's, Santarpios are all good in different ways. Last I checked Todd English was current king of fancy pizza and his Olives and Figs restaurants sling them in Boston for goodness sake.
- Breakfast brawlers Ball Square Cafe and Soundbites next door did escalate to bloodshed. Both are pretty much identical although everyone has their favorite.
- Foundry in Davis Square is really pushing their Poutine.
See you there!
I've been to Helmand. Food was fairly decent, but my experience was colored by the fact that I had just come home from eating the real thing. I need to go back now.
Twitter
3DS Friend Code: 3926-5491-9247
I am in full support of Miracle of Science and all those who recommended it. Periodic table menu, lab bench stools, and pretty delicious food. Breakfast is fantastic there as well. The only problem is how small it is and the menu isn't very extensive. It's also across the street from The Asgard (also delicious), sister restaurant to The Kinsale which people have recommended. I love my neighborhood.
For Boston Proper locations I defer to those who have lived here (and across the river) longer. My only add-in is that Legal Seafoods is indeed fantastic and that The Upper Crust is delicious but I'll never eat there again based on their alleged worker exploitation.
And how do I keep track of PrePax dinner?
Welcome to PAX!
Check out this thread for all the official information. It will also mention this link where you can order tickets to the dinner.
Actually, my very favorite poutine is this little place in Ste-Genevieve called La Roulotte. They do a two-layer poutine. it's awesome,
I haven't been to it in Boston so I'm not sure what it entails, but the NYC one had a pre-fixed menu at a much cheaper price than normally offered. If you want a super-quality classy experience, I wouldn't recommend restaurant week because it gets busy and the food is probably a little lower in quality than normal for a fancy restaurant. Uhh the website is: http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/ but the list isn't up yet.
Also, I would second Technique, the restaurant for the Le Cordon Bleu school. $15 for a 5 course meal was awesome if you are understandable about sub-par service. I saw the recommendation on this thread and went with my boyfriend and we both liked it
Hey juju, I'll definitely take you up on that offer for dinner on sunday night if you're available. It'll be me and a couple friends (depending on who's staying till monday), and whoever else would like to join, the more the merrier. I'm from D.C., and somewhat of a foodie myself (when my budget allows), and would like to taste as much of Boston as I can while I'm there. We're going to the pre-pax dinner, pokecrawl, and dim sum, and I know we'd be happy to have you help us decide where to go and what's good for sunday.
www.team-sf.com
MD PAX Meet-Up - Events Calendar - G+ - @MD_PAX_Meetup - Facebook